Box lidding machine

ABSTRACT

A box lidding machine has a box support along which the bases of the boxes are moved at a predetermined speed by a conveyor having pivoted fingers presenting upper ends projecting above the conveyor to engage the base of a box while the lower ends of the fingers are engagable with a vertically adjustable member movable to vary the distance to which the fingers will project above the box support. Lids are moved at a slower speed than the bases along a converging path and into a position wherein the foremost lid is held in place by yieldable detents. When thus positioned the foremost lid is engaged by the base of a box moving along the box support, and is then pressed down into a closing position on the base of the box.

United States Paten Switliski et a1.

[54] BOX LIDDING MACHINE [72] Inventors: Vincent S. Switliski, GlenOlden, Pa.; Arthur R. Harmon, Port Republic, NJ.

[73] Assignee: Charles Beck Machine Corporation,

King of Prussia, Pa.

[22] Filed: July 15, 1970 211 App1.No.: 55,058

[52] US. Cl. ..53/313, 53/64, 198/170 [51] Int. Cl. ..B65b 7/28 [58]Field of Search ..53/64, 313, 314, 315, 316,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,960,719 5/1934 Stibbs198/170 X 2,780,342 2/1957 Good 198/170 3,383,834 5/1968 Switliski et al..53/315 2,082,048 6/1937 Everett ..53/64 2,669,377 2/1954 Van Poolen eta1. ....53/3l4 X [451 Oct. 3, 1972 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS890,434 2/1962 Great Britain ..53/315 Primary Examiner-Travis s. McGeheeAttorney-Sperry and Zoda ABSTRACT A box lidding machine has a boxsupport along which the bases of the boxes are moved at a predeterminedspeed by a conveyor having pivoted fingers presenting upper endsprojecting above the conveyor to engage the base of a box while thelower ends of the fingers are engagable with a vertically adjustablemember movable to vary the distance to which the fingers will projectabove the box support. Lids are moved at a slower speed than the basesalong a converging path and into a position wherein the foremost lid isheld in place by yieldable detents. When thus positioned the foremostlid is engaged by the base of a box moving along the box support, and isthen pressed down into a closing position on the base of the box.

3 Claims, 13 Drawing figures PATENTEDUCT 3 I972 SHEET 1 [IF 4PATENTEI'Jnm 3 I972 3.694.999

SHEET 3 [IF 4 Fig.8.

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n ma Y WM E SHMN Z M T 7 M n. T m A MR WAS w BOX LIDDING MACHINE FIELDOF INVENTION One type of equipment for use in applying lids to the basesof preformed or set up boxes is disclosed in US. Pat. No. 3,383,834. Inorder to increase the speed of operation of such equipment while at thesame time avoiding such vibration or bouncing of the bases as mightdisplace the contents of the box the present invention has beendeveloped. It is also desirable to adjust or vary the positions ofvarious elements of the assembly to handle bases and lids of differentwidth and height and to assure the proper spacing and positioning of thebases and lids as they move through the equipment to establish theproper registration of the lids with respect to the bases to which theyare to be applied.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION In accordance with the present invention the basesof boxes are moved along a box support from a supply point to a boxconveyor which serves to advance the bases of the boxes in spacedrelation along the support to a lid applying station. The box conveyorhas pivoted fingers thereon provided with upper ends that project intothe space between the boxes to move them to a lid applying station. Thefingers on the box conveyor extend a predetermined distance above thebox support while the lower and heavier ends of the fingers engage arail or member which is vertically movable to vary the distance to whichthe upper ends of the fingers project above the box support. Since thefingers are merely tilted upward by gravity they will be depressed by abox positioned above the fingers and may be placed relatively closetogether whereas the fingers are free to project upwardly between spacedboxes to move the base of each box along the box support.

The lids to be applied to the bases of the boxes are supplied by a beltwhich travels along a path inclined toward the box support to a positionwherein the foremost lid will be engaged and held by yieldable detents.These detents position the lid so that it will be accurately engaged bythe leading end of the base of the box to which it is to be applied asthe base travels along the box support. The assembled base and lid thenmove on beneath hold down means which prevent the cover from beingdisplaced until the closed box has reached the delivery end of themachine.

Adjustment of the rail or member engaged by the lower ends of the boxadvancing fingers renders it possible to apply lids of various depth toboxes of various depth and in a manner which assure accurateregistration of the box and lid even when the bases of the boxes areadvanced at high speed.

The assembly further is provided with transversely extending screwmembers operatively connected by common means such as a chain whichserves to vary the width or transverse spacing of guide elementsuniformly and simultaneously whereby the provision of separate andindividual spacing means is not required.

THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a typical boxlidding machine embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of elements of the base conveyinrmechanism embodied in the assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the construction shown inFIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the equipment of FIG. 1showing the driving means therefor;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a portion of the box conveyor employed in theequipment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of a portion of the box conveyor shown inFIG. 5; I

FIG. 7 is a transverse sectional view of the box conveyor and boxguiding and adjusting means;

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of a portion of the equipmentshown in FIG. 1 illustrating the box conveyor;

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the lower end of the lid conveyor;

FIG. 10 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the manner in whichthe lids are assembled with the bases of the boxes,

FIG. 11 is a vertical sectional view of the assembly shown in FIG. 1taken on the line 11-11 thereof,

; FIG. 12 is a side elevation of a portion of the mechanism employed forraising and lowering the lower end of the lid conveyor, and

FIG. 13 is a diagrammatic illustration of typical means employed forholding the bases of boxes in engagement with the box guiding means.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION In that form of the inventionchosen for purposes of illustration in the drawings, the box liddingequipment is provided with a horizontal frame 2 having box guiding means4 extending from the receiving end 6 of the equipment, shown at the lefthand end of FIG. 1 toward the discharge end 8 of the equipment shown atthe right hand end of FIG. 1. The box guiding means preferably includestransversely spaced box supporting rails 10 and side guide bars 12arranged as shown in FIG. 7. Supply means 14 in the form of V-belts orthe like are located at thereceiving end 6 of the equipment and aredriven by a motor 16 through chains 18 and 23 to move the bases 20 ofboxes along the box guiding means 4 to a box spacing conveyor 21. Theconveyor 21 may also be driven by a motor 16 and is caused to travel ata speed somewhat faster than the supply means 14 whereby the bases ofthe boxes will be spaced apart a short distance by the box spacingconveyor and will be presented to a box moving conveyor 22 in suitablyspaced relation.

The box moving conveyor 22 is driven from the motor 16 by means of asprocket 44 to advance the bases of the boxes along the box guidingmeans 4 to a lid applying station 25 as shown on FIG. 1. The chain ofthe box moving conveyor 22 is supported on a longitudinally extendingtrack-26 located between the spaced box supporting rails 10 and isprovided with box engaging fingers 28. The fingers 28 are .pivotallyconnected to the chain 22 at 30 intermediate the ends of each finger andat spaced intervals throughout the length of the chain. Each finger isthus provided with an upper end 32 movable into the space betweenadjacent boxes received from the box spacing conveyor 21 and into aposition in which the upper end 32 will engage the rear end 34 of thebase of each box to move the base along the box supporting rails 10.

The lower end 36 of each of the pivoted fingers 28 is provided withrollers 38 which are movable along finger adjusting rail 46 at oppositesides of the chain supporting rail 26. The roller carrying lower ends 36of the fingers 28 are heavier than the upper box engaging ends 32 of thefingers. The fingers therefore tend to tilt with respect to the chaininto positions in which the upper ends 32 of those fingers which arepositioned beneath any box and between the ends of the boxes will beheld depressed by the box itself so that they will not interfere withthe movement of the boxesalong the box supporting rails 10. It istherefore possible to locate the fingers 28 at any desired locationthroughout the length of the chain 22 so as to assure the presence of afinger to project upwardly into engagement with the rear end of each box34 without resorting to special or accurate placement of the fingers onthe chain 22.

The upper run of the conveyor chain 22 is moved to the right as seen inFIG. 1 past the lid applying station 25. For this purpose the conveyoris passed about a driving sprocket 44 driven by a chain 23 from themotor 16. A cam 48 located adjacent the driving sprocket 44 is formed tobe engaged by the rollers 38 on the lower ends of the pivoted fingers 28and is provided with a raised portion 50 which serves to lift therollers 38 and depress the upper ends 32 of the fingers as they passupward about the driving sprocket 44. Therefore the fingers areprevented from striking the bottom of the boxes as they pass upwardabout sprocket 33. In this way candies or other articles contained infilled boxes to which the covers are to be applied, are not disturbed,or shaken about as the bases are moved by the spacing conveyor 21 intoposition to be advanced by the conveyor 22 along the box supportingrails 10.

In the preferred form of the invention the rails 46 are adjustablymovable vertically and with respect to the chain supporting bar 26 andrails so as to vary the angle at which the fingers 28 will be tiltedwith respect to the chain 22. The point on the rear end 34 of the baseswhich will be contacted by the upper ends 32 of the fingers 28 may thenbe selected or varied as required for the proper handling of the base ofany particular box. Accordingly, it is possible to use the equipment forapplying lids to boxes of various different depths and for applying lidsof any selected depth to the bases of the boxes. The points where theupper ends 32 of the fingers engage the rear ends 34 of the boxes canalso be raised or lowered to push against the base in such a way as toovercome any rearward bulging of the end of the base which mightinterfere with the proper closing of the lid about the base.

The vertical adjustment of the rails 46 with respect to the chainsupporting bar 26 can be effected readily and while the equipment isoperating by adjusting the position of a lever 52 which is pivotallymounted at 54 on the frame 2. The lower end of the lever 52 is connectedby a link 56 to a rod 58 attached at spaced points to arms 60 ofbell-cranks 62 pivotally mounted at 64. The other arms 66 of the bellcranks 62.are connected to block 67 on a connecting bar 68 upon whichthe rails 46 are mounted. Pivotal. movement of the lever 52 thereforeserves to raise or lower the rails 46 as desired while holding the railsat all times parallel to the box supporting rails 10.

The lids 70 to be applied to the bases 20 at lid applying station 25 aremovable down an inclined frame member 72 by means of a flat belt type ofconveyor 74 driven by chain 76 or the like from the motor 16. The lowerend of the inclined frame 72 is vertically adjustable to vary the spacebetween the lower end 78 of frame 72 and the box supporting rails 10 topermit the use of the equipment in applying covers of selected depth tobases of any desired height. Such adjustment also serves to present theleading end 80 of the foremost lid 70 on the frame 72 in proper positionto be engaged by the leading end 82 of the base of the box to which itis to be applied. Raising and lowering of the lower end 78 of the frame72 is preferably accomplished by movement of lever 84. For this purposea chain 102 is passed over a gear 88. The upper end of the chain 102 isconnected to a spring take up device 101, while the lower end of thechain 102 is connected to the lower end of upright member secured to theframe 72. Movement of the lever 84 will then serve to rotate gear 88 soas to pull on the chain 102 to raise the lower end of the inclined frame72 or to release the chain 102 to permit the lower end of the frame tomove downward. The chain 102 passes about a gear 103 secured to shaft 86which passes through the frame 2 and has a pinion 105 secured theretoadjacent the outer side of the frame 2. A rack 107 is engaged by thepinion 105 so that when the chain 102 is moved by operation of the lever84 the shaft 86 will be rotated and the pinion 105 will cause the rack107 to be raised or lowered. The rack 107 has a stop nut 109 adjustablysecured to the upper end thereof in position to engage the upper side ofthe frame 2 to hold the rack and pinion in a predetermined adjustedposition whereby the chain 102 and the lower end of the frame 72 can beraised or lowered at will to provide access to the boxes and lids attheir point of contact for the purpose of correcting any interference ormisalignment of the boxes and lids at the lid applying station 25.However, the stop means 109 will serve to allow the lower end of theframe to be returned to its original adjusted position and the settingsof the machine will be preserved following the temporary raising of thelower end of the frame 72 to correct any interference or misalignment ofthe lids or boxes which may occur.

The lid carrying belt conveyor 74 on frame 72 is driven from motor 16 bychain 76 or the like and the upper run of the conveyor 74 upon which thebox lids 70 rest is advanced at a speed somewhat less than that at whichthe bases 20 of the boxes are advanced by the conveyor 22. Springpressed detents 108 are yieldably urged inward into positions whereinthey hold the foremost lid on conveyor 74 in place to be engaged by thebase of the box to which it is to be applied. The tension by which thedetents are urged inward may be adjusted by varying the tension onsprings 110 whereas the surfaces 112 of the detents which are engaged bythe foremost lid on the frame, are inclined with respect to the leadingend 80 of the foremost lid 70 on conveyor 74 to allow the lid to moveforward readily when it is engaged by the leading end of a base 20moving along the box supporting means.

In order to assure a supply of lids 70 for the bases 20 being fedthrough the equipment, suitable control means may be provided forstopping the movement of bases toward the lid applying station when thesupply of lids to the lid conveyor 74 has ceased. For this purpose aphoto-electric cell 114 and a light source 116 are located adjacentconveyor 74 in position to cause a beam of light from said source topass to the photoelectric cell when there is no lid on the belt. Anelectric circuit (not shown) controlled by the photo-electric cellserves to actuate a magnetic clutch 118 through which the sprocket 44driving conveyor 22 is driven from the motor 16. Accordingly, theabsence of a lid 70 on conveyor 74 will serve to deactivate the clutch118 whereby the conveyor 22 will no longer be driven and the supply ofbases 20 to the lid applying station 25 will cease. The lid supplyingconveyor 74 may nevertheless continue to advance since the lids merelyrest on the conveyor and it will slip readily beneath any lids remainingon the conveyor and held in place by the detents 108. However, whenfurther lids are supplied and moved into position to cut off the beam oflight to the photo-electric cell 114, clutch 118 will again be energizedto drive sprocket 44 and cause the bases 20 to again be advanced to thelid applying station 25.

The frame 72 is provided brushes 120 or other yieldable means which areadjustably positioned adjacent the detects 108 and the lower end of theframe 72 to hold the lids 70 down in position to be engaged by the baseof a box being advanced by the conveyor 22. The assembly furtherincludes hold down bars 122 which are located above the conveyor 22 andyieldably urged upward by spring 124 while being held down by frame 72to engage the bases of the boxes and hold them in engagement with thebox supporting rails as they are moved along the rails by conveyor 22 tothe lid applying station 25. Additional hold down bars 126 extend frompoints adjacent the lid applying station 25 to the discharge end 8 ofthe equipment to retain the lids on the bases of the boxes until theyhave reached a point for removal from the equipment.

In using the equipment shown and described the bases of the boxes, whichmay be filled with candies or the like, are fed to or placed on thesupply means 14 which is positioned to move the bases forward and ontothe box supporting rails 10 of the box guiding means 4 and into positionto be received by the faster moving box spacing conveyor 21. Theconveyor 21 then moves the bases 20 in spaced relation to the box movingconveyor 22. When thus advanced by the conveyor 22 the rear end 34 ofeach base to be engaged by one of the upwardly projecting ends 32 of afinger 28 carried by conveyor 22. However, those fingers which arelocated beneath the base of any box will be depressed as shown in FIG. 6whereby the only fingers which are elevated into box engaging positionare those which are properly positioned to enter the space between theboxes on conveyor 22.

As the base 20 is advanced by conveyor 22 to the lid applying station25, the lids 70 are moved by conveyor 74 into engagement with detents108 at the lower end of the frame 72. The detents serve to hold theforemost lid on the conveyor 74 in a position wherein the downwardlyextending leading end 80 of the foremost lid will be engaged by theleading end 82 of a base 20 being advanced by conveyor 22. The base 20will then serve to strip the foremost lid from detents 108 and carry thelid forward whereas the conveyor 74 will move the next lid forward intoposition to engage the lid positioning detents 108. Since the conveyor22 and base 20 is advanced more rapidly than the lid supplying conveyor4, the foremost lid will be moved away from the following lid onconveyor 74 so as to momentarily present a space between the rear end ofthe foremost lid and the leading edge of the following lid by thedetents.

As the assembled bases and lids are moved forward by conveyor 22 thebrushes or yieldable means will serve to press the rear portion of thelid down and about the upper edges of the base into a closed positionand the closed box continues to advance beneath the hold-down bars 126to the discharge end 8 of the equipment where the closed boxes may beremoved manually or by a conveyor or in any other desired manner. 4

Since the equipment is designed to be used in applying lids to boxes ofvarious width, it is desirable to provide means for uniformly andsimultaneously altering the horizontal spacing of the members of-the boxguiding means 4 as well as the spacing of the lid guiding members 130 onthe lid supplying frame 72. In order to accomplish such variationswithout the time consuming individual adjusting of the various elements,an adjusting wheel 132 is secured to a cross-shaft 134 having a sprocket136 thereon. A chain 138 passes about the sprocket 136 and aboutsprocket 140, 142 and 144 secured to shafts 146, 148 and 150respectively having screw threads of opposite direction adjacent theopposite ends thereof. The threads on shafts 146, 148 and 150 engagecomplementary threaded elements on the supports of box guiding means 4whereby the operation of adjusting wheel 132 will serve to vary thespacing of the guide means 4 and box supporting members 10 in anidentical manner throughout the length of the equipment. Further, inorder to effect a similar and simultaneous variation in the spacing ofthe lid guiding members 130 on frame 72 a sprocket 152 is secured to theshaft 150 and a chain 154 is passed about sprockets 152, 156 and 158mounted on the shafts 160 and 162 respectively. The latter shafts arealso provided with oppositely threaded portions engaging complementarymeans on lid guiding members 130 whereby operation of adjusting wheelwill further serve to correspondingly vary the spacing of members 130.

The foregoing adjustments in the spacing of the basesupporting andguiding members 10 and 4 of the box supporting means and the spacing ofthe lid guiding members 130, serves in combination with the operation ofadjusting lever 52 and the raising and lowering of finger control rails46, to permit the equipment to be used in applying lids to boxes ofsubstantially any desired width and height and to boxes wherein thedepth of the lid is either relatively limited or substantially as greatas the depth of the base.

It will therefore be apparent that the equipment is capable of wideapplication and is adapted for high speed operation in applying lids toeither filled or empty bases as desired.

We claim:

1. Equipment for applying lids to the bases of boxes comprising a baseconveyor for moving the bases of boxes along a predetermined path, a lidconveyor inclined with respect to said predetermined path for moving boxlids into position to be engaged by the bases being moved along saidpath, means for moving the base member in the same direction but at afaster speed than the box lid conveyor to separate the foremost lid froman adjacent lid on the lid conveyor, and holding members yieldablymovable into the space between the foremost box lid on the lidconveyorand an adjacent lid thereon which space results from themovement of the foremost box lid with a base travelling faster than thelid conveyor.

2. Equipment for applying lids to boxes comprising box guiding means,means for moving the bases of boxes along said box guiding means at apredetermined speed, a lid conveyor inclined with respect to said boxguiding means and movable to advance the lids of boxes into a positionwherein the leading end of the foremost lid on said lid conveyor will beengaged by the leading end of a base moving along said box guidingmeans, means for driving said lid conveyor at a speed which is less thansaid predetermined speed at which the bases of boxes are advanced, thelower end of said lid conveyor being provided with lid positioningdetents movable into the space between the foremost lid on said conveyorand the next adjacent lid on the conveyor, which space is established bymovement of the foremost lid with a base being advanced more rapidlythan said lid conveyor is moved.

3. Equipment as defined in claim 2 wherein said detents are providedwith box positioning surfaces inclined with respect to the ends of thelids engaged thereby.

1. Equipment for applying lids to the bases of boxes comprising a baseconveyor for moving the bases of boxes along a predetermined path, a lidconveyor inclined with respect to said predetermined path for moving boxlids into position to be engaged by the bases being moved along saidpath, means for moving the base member in the same direction but at afaster speed than the box lid conveyor to separate the foremost lid froman adjacent lid on the lid conveyor, and holding members yieldablymovable into the space between the foremost box lid on the lid conveyorand an adjacent lid thereon which space results from the movement of theforemost box lid with a base travelling faster than the lid conveyor. 2.Equipment for applying lids to boxes comprising box guiding means, meansfor moving the bases of boxes along said box guiding means at apredetermined speed, a lid conveyor inclined with respect to said boxguiding means and movable to advance the lids of boxes into a positionwherein the leading end of the foremost lid on said lid conveyor will beengaged by the leading end of a base moving along said box guidingmeans, means for driving said lid conveyor at a speed which is less thansaid predetermined speed at which the bases of boxes are advanced, thelower end of said lid conveyor being provided with lid positioningdetents movable into the space between the foremost lid on said conveyorand the next adjacent lid on the conveyor, which space is established bymovement of the foremost lid with a base being advanced more rapidlythan said lid conveyor is moved.
 3. Equipment as defined in claim 2wherein said detents are provided with box positioning surfaces inclinedwith respect to the ends of the lids engaged thereby.